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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Global Gluten Free » French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam)

    Published: Nov 21, 2022 | Last Updated On: Nov 22, 2022 by Neha Mathur

    French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam)

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    Jump to Recipe

    Soft, sticky, sweet, and rich this French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam) makes for a wonderfully delicious topping for pizzas, bruschetta, sandwiches, and burgers. Try it my way (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    Here are some more jam and compote recipes that you may try at home – Mango Jam, Instant Pot Strawberry Jam, and Peach Jam.

    French red onion marmalade served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam)
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Onion Marmalade
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Pro Tips By Neha
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam)

    French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam) is a delicious condiment that can perk up the taste of anything that is served with. It is sweet and slightly tangy in taste and sticky and gooey in texture.

    Serve it with chips or nachos or slather it on pizzas, bruschetta, sandwiches, burgers, or any other dish that needs a good base.

    This recipe keeps good in the refrigerator for a long time. So you can double or triple the recipe and keep relishing it.

    The red onion marmalade recipe is also gluten-free and vegetarian and can be easily made vegan too.

    Ingredients

    Red onion marmalade ingredients 1
    Red onion marmalade ingredients 2

    Red Onions – The key ingredient of this onion marmalade is red onions. If they are not available, then you can use white onions or yellow onions too. Having said that, the result is better with red onions as they are sweeter and also have thicker flesh and skin than white onions.

    Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds a nice caramelized taste and earthy sweetness to the marmalade.

    Apple Juice – Apple juice is used to cook the jam and also gives it a slight sweetness. You can use packaged or homemade juice.

    You can also replace apple juice with pineapple juice or orange juice.

    Red Pepper Flakes – You can adjust the red pepper flakes as per your taste.

    Red Wine Vinegar – It gives a nice tang that complements the sweetness of the marmalade very well.

    You can replace it with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or white wine vinegar too.

    Others – You will also need salted butter, light olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper powder.

    To make the marmalade vegan, replace butter with light olive oil.

    Herbs like thyme or rosemary can be added to this recipe for extra flavor.

    Adding a splash of bourbon or sweet red wine to the almost-ready recipe takes it to another level.

    You can also add crispy bacon and make onion bacon marmalade.

    How To Make Onion Marmalade

    Heat 2 tablespoon salted butter and 2 tablespoon light olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

    Butter and olive oil added to a pan.

    Once the butter is melted, add 1 lb (500 g) of thinly sliced red onions and 2 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for a minute, stirring continuously.

    Onions and garlic added to the pan.

    Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ½ cup tightly packed brown sugar and mix well.

    Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and brown sugar added to the pan.

    Reduce the heat to low.

    Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 30 minutes, stirring a few times while cooking.

    Pan covered with a lid.
    Cooked onions.

    Add 1 cup of apple juice and ¼ cup of red wine vinegar and stir to combine.

    Red wine vinegar and apple juice added to the pan.

    Cover the pan again and cook for another 30 minutes on low heat, stirring a few times in between.

    pan covered with a lid again.

    Remove the lid and cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes or until the liquid is reduced, stirring very frequently. Do not overcook otherwise the marmalade will become dry. Keep in mind that the marmalade with thicken some more as it cools down.

    Remove the pan from heat and let the marmalade cool down to room temperature.

    Store in a clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

    Ready French red onion marmalade.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How to cut onions?

    If you are good at chopping, you can cut the onions using a sharp knife. Make sure the slices are thin and evenly sliced.

    I use a mandolin slicer to slice my onions. It makes sure that they are all the same in thickness and also makes the job quicker.

    If you have a food processor, you can use it too.

    How to make onion jam with bacon?

    To make bacon onion marmalade, fry 5-6 strips of bacon from both sides until they are crisp.

    Drain the bacon on a paper towel, so that the towel soaks up the excess oil. Chop the crispy bacon into very small pieces and add them along with apple juice to the recipe.

    Can we make French onion marmalade without brown sugar?

    Yes, you can substitute brown sugar with granulated organic cane sugar or honey for healthy alternatives.

    How to make onion jam in a slow cooker (crockpot)?

    To make it in a crockpot, dump all the ingredients in the bowl of the slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours. Stir 2-3 times in between.

    Pro Tips By Neha

    Always thinly and evenly slice the onions, as they cook evenly and get caramelized properly.

    Cook the onions on low heat, so that they do not get brown faster. Also cooking on high heat has more chance of burning the onions.

    Serving Suggestions

    You can use this marmalade as a topping for pizzas, bruschetta, open toasts, tarts, etc.

    You can also use it as a spread for your sandwiches, burgers, wraps, or rolls.

    It also tastes delicious on gourmet hot dogs, hamburgers, and steaks, or as an accompaniment with a cheese platter or a charcuterie board. It tastes particularly good with blue cheese, cream cheese, and goat cheese.

    Mix this delicious onion marmalade with sour cream or mayonnaise and use it as a dip for your crackers, potato wedges, or fries.

    I like to add some to my frittata and omelets along with feta or goat cheese.

    It will be awesome with Mexican Corn Bread or stirred-in Egg White Muffins.

    Storage Suggestions

    You can store red onion marmalade in the fridge in a clean airtight container for about a month. Use clean spoons to take out the marmalade.

    You can also freeze it for 2 to 3 months in an airtight container or in freezer bags.

    One great way to store this marmalade is to make cubes out of it using an ice tray and then store the frozen cubes in freezer bags. When ready to use, thaw the marmalade on the kitchen counter or in the refrigerator until it is softened.

    You Might Also Like

    • Roasted Zucchini
    • Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
    • Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
    • Quick Stir Fried Kimchi Noodles

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Soft, sticky, sweet, and rich this French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam) makes for a wonderfully delicious topping for pizzas, bruschetta, sandwiches, and burgers. Try it my way (vegetarian, gluten-free).

    French Red Onion Marmalade Recipe (Onion Jam)

    Soft, sticky, sweet, and rich this French Red Onion Marmalade (Onion Jam) makes for a wonderfully delicious topping for pizzas, bruschetta, sandwiches, and burgers. Try it my way (vegetarian, gluten-free).
    3.72 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cooking Basics, Dip
    Cuisine: Continental
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 121kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 2 tablespoons salted butter (replace with light olive oil for vegan)
    • 2 tablespoons light olive oil
    • 1 pound red onions (500 g, thinly sliced)
    • 5-6 cloves minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
    • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • ½ cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
    • 1 cup apple juice
    • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
    US Customary or Metric
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    Instructions

    • Heat butter and olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
    • Once the butter is melted, add onions and garlic and cook for a minute, stirring continuously.
    • Add salt, black pepper powder, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar and mix well.
    • Reduce the heat to low.
    • Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 30 minutes, stirring a few times while cooking.
    • Add apple juice and red wine vinegar and stir to combine.
    • Cover the pan again and cook for another 30 minutes on low heat, stirring a few times in between.
    • Remove the lid and cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes or until the liquid is reduced, stirring very frequently. Do not overcook otherwise the marmalade will become dry. Keep in mind that the marmalade with thicken some more as it cools down.
    • Remove the pan from heat and let the marmalade cool down to room temperature.
    • Store in a clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

    Video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63NZf0A3fsE

    Notes

    This recipe keeps good in the refrigerator for up to a month. So you can double or triple the recipe and keep relishing it.
    If red onions are not available, then you can use white onions or yellow onions too. Having said that, the result is better with red onions as they are sweeter and also have thicker flesh and skin than white onions.
    You can replace red wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or white wine vinegar too.
    Always thinly and evenly slice the onions, as they cook evenly and get caramelized properly.
    Cook the onions on low heat, so that they do not get brown faster. Also cooking on high heat has more chance of burning the onions.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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    More Global Gluten Free Recipes

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    • Chicken Clear Soup
    • Egyptian Pistachio Dukkah
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rohini

      April 22, 2016 at 4:32 am

      I would like to try this recipe. Do you use packaged apple juice or homemade? Is there a substitue for apple juice?

      Reply
      • msnehamathur

        April 22, 2016 at 4:54 am

        Ho Rohini. I used packaged apple juice.

        Reply
        • Rohini

          June 16, 2016 at 10:11 am

          Thanks for the recipe! Marmalade made, smells yum. Now onto the marmalade and spinich bread.

          Reply
          • msnehamathur

            June 17, 2016 at 12:12 am

            Awesome 🙂

            Reply
    2. Mom

      August 28, 2016 at 7:55 pm

      Just made this with substitutions. Hubby says it’s great. I used orange juice, red wine vinegar, a cup of honey, and dumped in the last cup of a sweet dessert wine. Now to just remember this!

      Reply
      • msnehamathur

        August 29, 2016 at 2:38 am

        Thnx a lot for trying :). Love your add ons.

        Reply
    3. Paige

      September 09, 2016 at 9:29 pm

      How many onions is 500 grams?

      Reply
      • msnehamathur

        September 10, 2016 at 3:36 pm

        I used 4-5 medium sized onion Paige.

        Reply
        • Kristi

          June 20, 2018 at 6:56 pm

          Thank you for the weight of the onions! I weigh everything. Very helpful. Looking forward to making it.

          Reply
          • Neha Mathur

            June 23, 2018 at 8:33 am

            🙂

            Reply
    4. Darlene Hryn Stainbrook

      May 29, 2019 at 9:17 pm

      4 stars
      Like and will make again. Add a tbsp of molasses, hoping for a darker colour. Also cooked double the time to help get it thicker. Found cooking it longer made the onion taste a bit stronger. Made May 29, 2019 9/10

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        May 30, 2019 at 2:44 am

        Thnx for trying and leaving for feedback.

        Reply
    5. Thea

      July 03, 2019 at 3:38 am

      Cant wait to make this! Tried something similar in Niagara but recipe used ALOT of wine!

      can thus be adapted to the crockpot or instant pot? Ive done carmelized onions in the crockpot overnight using just onions and vegetable oil.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        July 05, 2019 at 5:22 pm

        Hi Thea, Sure, you can make it in crock pot and Instant pot too.

        Reply

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